Turkmenistan
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Turkmenistan⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991.
President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as "Serdar who has a protector to support him."
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many citizens of Turkmenistan to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 469,930 sq km
- Water
- 18,170 sq km
- Total
- 488,100 sq km
- Climate
- subtropical desert
- Terrain
- flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Land Use
- Other
- 10.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 84.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 3.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 80.8% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Vpadina Akchanaya (Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya, the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) -81 m
- Highest point
- Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
- Mean elevation
- 230 m
- Irrigated land
- 16,459 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 4,158 km
- Border countries
- Afghanistan 804 km; Iran 1,148 km; Kazakhstan 413 km; Uzbekistan 1,793 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods
- Geography note
- landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau
- Natural resources
- petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
- Area comparative
- slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California
- Geographic coordinates
- 40 00 N, 60 00 E
- Population distribution
- the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Salt water lake(s)
- Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
- (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 99.9% (2022 est.)
- Female
- 99.9% (2022 est.)
- Total population
- 99.9% (2022 est.)
Languages
- Languages
- Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
- Major language sample(s)
Dünýä Faktlar Kitaby – esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp çeşmesidir (Turkmen)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist <1%, folk religion <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified <1% (2020 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 16.43 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 30.7 years
- Total
- 31.6 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 31.7 years
Population
- Male
- 2,842,870
- Total
- 5,744,151 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 2,901,281
Nationality
- Noun
- Turkmenistani(s)
- Adjective
- Turkmenistani
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 9.4% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 4.8% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 0.5% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 54% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 24.5% (male 711,784/female 692,967)
- 15 64 years
- 68.6% (male 1,956,740/female 1,984,333)
- 65 years and over
- 6.9% (2024 est.) (male 174,346/female 223,981)
- Ethnic groups
- Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 15
- 0.2% (2019)
- Women married BY age 18
- 6.1% (2019)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 45.8 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 35.6 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 9.9 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 10.1 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.93 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 5.6% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 8.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.02 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 2.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 29.6% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 43.6 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 35 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.88% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.99 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 69.4 years
- Female
- 75.5 years
- Total population
- 72.4 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 902,000 ASHGABAT (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 18.6% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 24.2 years (2019)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 65% (2019 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 3.1% (2019 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 12 years (2022 est.)
- Total
- 13 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 12 years (2022 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the left side; the stripe has five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; five five-pointed white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper left corner of the main field
meaning: the green color and crescent moon stand for Islam, the five stars for the country's regions, and the guls for national identity
Capital
- Name
- Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
- Etymology
- derived from the Turkmen words ushq, meaning "love," and abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "town;" the city was originally a military outpost built in 1881 that took its name from an ancient settlement on the site
- Time difference
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 37 57 N, 58 23 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 7 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016
- Amendment process
- proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum
Country Name
- Former
- Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
- Etymology
- the suffix -stan means "land," so the country name means the "Land of the Turkmen [people];" the people's name means "Turk-like," from the Persian words tork and mandan, referring to their formerly nomadic lifestyle that differed from the settled Turks of Turkey
- Local long form
- none
- Local short form
- Turkmenistan
- Conventional long form
- none
- Conventional short form
- Turkmenistan
- Independence
- 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- Legal system
- civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences
- Government type
- presidential republic; authoritarian
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)
- Subordinate courts
- High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
- Cabinet
- Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
- Chief of state
- President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
- Election results
2022: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV elected president; percent of vote - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 73%, Khydyr NUNNAYEV (independent) 11.1%, Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV (IAP) 7.2%, other 8.7%
2017: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%- Head of government
- President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
- Most recent election date
- 12 March 2022
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (no term limits)
- Expected date of next election
- 2029
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
- National color(s)
- green, white
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Ancient Merv (c); Kunya-Urgench (c); Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (c); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n); Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)
- Political parties
- Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or TAP
Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan or TSTP
The Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or TDP
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 56 (48 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- Assembly (Mejlis)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 3/28/2021
- Expected date of next election
- March 2028
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 25.5%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) (65); Groups of citizens of Turkmenistan (28); Agrarian Party (24); Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (8)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Garaşsyz, Bitarap Türkmenistanyň" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
- History
- adopted 1997; lyrics revised in 2008 to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW
- Lyrics/music
- collective/Veli MUKHATOV
- National symbol(s)
- Akhal-Teke horse
- Administrative divisions
- 5 provinces (velayatlar, singular - velayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Velayat, Lebap Velayat (Turkmenabat), Mary Velayat
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 588-1500
- Chancery
- 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 588-1500
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001)
- Email address and website
turkmenembassyus@verizon.net
https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [993] (12) 94-26-14
- Embassy
- 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000
- Telephone
- [993] (12) 94-00-45
- Mailing address
- 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024)
- Email address and website
ConsularAshgab@state.gov
https://tm.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
TURKMENISTAN · LOWER HOUSE
Assembly
125 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
125
Majority line
64
Largest party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Parties
2
All political parties
Upper house
TURKMENISTAN · UPPER HOUSE
People’s Council
56 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
56
Majority line
29
Largest party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Parties
2
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Serdar Berdimuhamedow
- Head of State
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Revenues
- $5.954 billion (2019 est.)
- Expenditures
- $6.134 billion (2019 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $9.0B
- Note
- note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $10.282 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $14.67 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $13.111 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $5.7B
- Note
- note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $6.25 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $7.362 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $7.563 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
- Labor force
- 2.445 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 24.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 24.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 0% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 0% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Turkmenistani manat (TMM) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2014
- 3.5 (2014 est.)
- Exchange rates 2015
- 3.5 (2015 est.)
- Exchange rates 2016
- 3.5 (2016 est.)
- Exchange rates 2017
- 4.125 (2017 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $3.696 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- upper-middle-income Central Asian economy; houses fourth-largest natural gas reserves and rich in natural resources; authoritarian and dominated by state-owned enterprises; challenges include overvalued currency, high inflation risks, lack of economic diversification due to heavy state control and bureaucracy
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.3%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 4.2% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 4.1% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.4% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- China 63%, Turkey 11%, Greece 7%, Uzbekistan 6%, Azerbaijan 4% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Turkey 21%, UAE 21%, China 20%, Kazakhstan 8%, Germany 5% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $21,213
- Note
- note: data in 2017 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $17,100 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $17,900 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $18,000 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 6.3%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 6.2% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 6.3% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 2.3% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, wheat, potatoes, cotton, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes, barley, beef, lamb/mutton (2023)
- Exports commodities
- natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, electricity (2023)
- Imports commodities
- broadcasting equipment, cars, wheat, computers, iron pipes (2023)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $64.24 billion (2024 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 36.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 2.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 11.5% (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
- 6.1% (2020 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
- 19.5% (2021 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 11.5% (2022 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $134.555 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2017 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $123.778 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $131.576 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $134.555 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 14.7% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 9.6% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 6% (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 39.3% (2023 est.)
- Services
- 49.4% (2023 est.)
- Agriculture
- 11.3% (2023 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 200 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 799.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 272,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 600 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 152,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 9 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 21.526 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 6.512 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 3.258 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 41.334 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 84.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 44.936 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 11.327 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 261.142 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Fossil fuels
- 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 21% (2017 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state-controlled broadcast media; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes available for other broadcasts; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes
- Internet country code
- .tm
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 802,000 (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 10 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 6.25 million (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 99 (2021 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 377,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 5 (2022 est.)
Transport
- Airports
- 23 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 5,113 km (2017)
- Broad gauge
- 5,113 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge
- Heliports
- 25 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 73 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 6, oil tanker 8, other 59
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- EZ
Environment
- Climate
- subtropical desert
Land Use
- Other
- 10.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 84.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 3.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 80.8% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 54% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 1.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 44.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 5,451.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 294.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 500,000 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 15.3% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- soil and groundwater pollution from agricultural chemicals and pesticides; salination, waterlogging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; river diversion for irrigation; soil erosion; desertification
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 453.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 806.765 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 16.12 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 106.215 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 88.153 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 100 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 18.062 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 28.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 24.765 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the military is responsible for external defense and works closely with the Border Service on protecting the country’s borders; areas of emphasis for the military include border security, competition on the Caspian Sea, regional stability, and military modernization; while Turkmenistan has a policy of permanent and "positive" neutrality and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has participated in multinational exercises and bilateral training with neighboring countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, but it does not offer any military forces to NATO-led operations (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)
- Military expenditures 2015
- 1.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
- Military expenditures 2016
- 1.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Military expenditures 2017
- 1.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
- Military expenditures 2018
- 1.8% of GDP (2018 est.)
- Military expenditures 2019
- 1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy
Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, Turkmen (National) Police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men and volunteer service for men and women; 24-month conscript service obligation (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory is comprised largely of Russian/Soviet-era armaments with smaller quantities from suppliers such as Brazil, China, Italy, and Türkiye (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- estimated 35,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Space
- Space agency/agencies
- Turkmenistan National Space Agency (established 2011; transferred to the Space Department of the Ministry of Communications in 2019) (2025)
- Space program overview
- has a small space program focused on acquiring satellites and developing the infrastructure to build and operate satellites; particularly interested in communications and remote sensing satellites; has cooperated with the space agencies and/or space industries of France, Italy, Russia, South Korea, and the US (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 2015 - first commercial telecommunications satellite (Turkmen Sat 52E) built by European company and launched by US
2024 - announced beginning of program to develop or acquire a second communications satellite
Transnational Issues
Trafficking in Persons
- Tier rating
- Tier 2 Watch List — Turkmenistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Turkmenistan was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/turkmenistan/
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 3,409 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index11.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4178 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.03as of 2024-Q4165 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (0/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (22/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Turkmenistan — vintage 2026-Q1: Turkmenistan factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/turkmenistan
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata